Sabine's Gull at Pine Creek Gamebird Habitat Area

                by Ed Hopkins, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

     An immature Sabine's Gull (SAGU) was observed at the Pine Creek Gamebird Habitat Area (GHA) on
17 October 2004 between 1:40 and 2:45 PM.  The refuge is located in eastern Benton County, Indiana, USA,
about eight miles east of Fowler on County Road 200N about a half mile east of County Road 850E.

     The bird was first seen floating on the north pond of Feldt Marsh with 23 Ring-billed Gulls.  I was in the
northwest corner of the marsh.  The birds were about  about 200 yards to the southeast.  My first impression
was that I was viewing a Franklin's Gull because of the dark-gray back and small, black bill.  I saw a dusky
wash from the eye backwards around the rear of the head.  I had expected a partial, black cap.

      When the bird took to the air to forage, I saw a striking black, white and dark-gray triangle patterns over
the wings.  A black triangle was formed from the wrist down the forward edge of the primaries to include about
five primaries.  A larger white triangle was formed in the mid wing.  The base of the triangle was formed along
the trailing edge of the wing: including all of the secondaries and the remaining primaries.  The top point of the
white triangle met at the wrist of the wing.  A dark gray triangle was formed along the front edge of the secondary
coverts.  From the wrist of the wing, it crossed the secondary coverts and some of the secondaries to a point
where the secondaries met the body.  In the air, it had a white tail with narrow, black terminal-band.  The band
was wider in the middle where it came to a point.

     I walked around the pond to the east and southeast portions to get better light to take digiscope pictures.

Fig. 1 - This is a side view of an imm. SAGU that was digiscoped at the Pine Creek GHA on 17 October 2004.
Notice the small black bill, the dusky-colored hind-cap and the dark-gray, scaly-patterned back.

Fig. 2 - This is a better view of the dusky-colored hind-cap on the imm. SAGU.

Fig. 3 - This view of the imm. SAGU shows the gray wash on the sides of the neck and upper breast.

Fig. 4 - This flight picture of the imm. SAGU shows the under wing pattern and the wash on the upper breast.

Fig. 5 - This flight picture of the imm. SAGU shows the upper wing pattern and a portion of the black, tail band.

Fig. 6 - This flight picture of the imm. SAGU shows the contrasting wing patterns and gray-colored back.